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justanothersamsmith's review against another edition
3.0
A dark and fantastical collection full of gothic imagery, feminist motifs and an air of Margaret Atwood's shorter works like The Tent or Stone Mattress. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Four stars :))
lovster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
really interesting portrayal of how suffering intertwines between nature and humanity very precise but still intricate lovely stuff
hmack's review against another edition
challenging
3.5
Favourites:
- Lunantic Urbaine is good
- So is No last kiss
- Rodeo fun on a Sunday
- ^ all part of nights of poor sleep poem
- Many Bird Roast
- The Indigo Field
- Seer
- Porcine Armour Thyroid
- Cravendale
- p. 42
- p. 44 I feel that
- Prairie Burning
- Apostles Burning
- Banshee
mallaeus's review against another edition
2.0
Yeah, I didn't like this. It felt laboured, like it was trying extremely hard to seem mysterious and layered without actually containing much of substance. There's the usual themes and imagery of women's bodies, sex and gender, violence; but nothing that hasn't been done before or better by other poets in other collections.
Just a real [sad trumpet noise] of a collection.
Just a real [sad trumpet noise] of a collection.
bartlebybleaney's review against another edition
1.0
Narcissistic man-hater obsessed with her own anatomy forgot to put poetry in her poetry collection. Honestly, it could happen to anyone.
aceface's review against another edition
3.0
There are some great poems in this collection, and Allen definitely has a sure sense of her own voice. The poems 'The Indigo Field', 'Prairie Burning', 'The Slim Man' and 'Banshee' really stood out to me, as well as the series of untitled poems that lace through the collection really wonderfully. The surreality of the book is great - sometimes funny, often a little disturbing (which I don't mind too much).
But, unfortunately, I found myself thinking something that I thought at times when reading passages of 'The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem' - what is the significance of what I'm reading? I'm definitely not saying that there was none, only that it was lost on me in this reading of the collection. I suppose an anthology like 'The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem' has the advantage of having a range of poets and styles, so my impression could change in a little more from page to page. But with this, there were just times that I felt like I was reading something just for the sake of running my eyes over the words, and I really wanted more than that. But as a whole, I think the collection is impressive. The reoccurring images of burning forests, fields, prairies, the sea and dead flesh all seem to build up together into a narrative of sorts. I only realised this right at the end of the collection - and it hit me like a tonne of bricks - so perhaps I would get much more out of this collection with a reread. I hope it grows on me with age.
But, unfortunately, I found myself thinking something that I thought at times when reading passages of 'The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem' - what is the significance of what I'm reading? I'm definitely not saying that there was none, only that it was lost on me in this reading of the collection. I suppose an anthology like 'The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem' has the advantage of having a range of poets and styles, so my impression could change in a little more from page to page. But with this, there were just times that I felt like I was reading something just for the sake of running my eyes over the words, and I really wanted more than that. But as a whole, I think the collection is impressive. The reoccurring images of burning forests, fields, prairies, the sea and dead flesh all seem to build up together into a narrative of sorts. I only realised this right at the end of the collection - and it hit me like a tonne of bricks - so perhaps I would get much more out of this collection with a reread. I hope it grows on me with age.
saammmsmithhh's review against another edition
4.0
A dark and fantastical collection full of gothic imagery, feminist motifs and an air of Margaret Atwood's shorter works like The Tent or Stone Mattress. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Four stars :))
circlesofflame's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this collection, but not as much as I'd hoped. Some of the poems feel a bit laboured and overcomplicated - potentially more how the poet feels poetry should be and the right level of off-the-boil to odd to be modern and artsy - than it would be if it had naturally flowed. I liked poems at the beginning and end of the collection, but it lost some of its feeling in the middle. I'd be interested to see where Allen goes from here.